With spring football practices and games now behind us, the SEC's coaches will meet the media today for a post-spring teleconference.

Many conducted quarterback competitions during the spring and all of them have holes to fill in their lineups. Where do those competitions stand now? How do they feel about where their teams stand heading into the fall? And what's their take on the SEC's recent decision on scheduling?

We'll update this post with highlights from the teleconference for all 14 SEC head coaches, as they address the media, Check back at al.com for more in-depth reports from the teleconference throughout the day:

Gus Malzahn, Auburn:

-- Says he was in favor of eight-game scheduling, with maintaining the Georgia rivalry. Wants to see how College Football Playoff will play out.

-- On Nick Marshall: "He was a lot more reactive this spring. ... It's coming more natural. We're hoping it'll be even better than that in the fall."

-- Hopes injuries this spring on defense will end up being a "blessing in disguise" in allowing the team to develop more depth.

-- Asked how fast he thinks he can get the pace car at Talladega, Malzahn said he'd let us know afterward. "I think I'm going to get there early and do a little practicing."

Steve Spurrier, South Carolina:

-- On whether quarterback play in the conference will dip with all the new starters: "Nobody knew who Johnny Manziel was until a couple years ago, when he stepped on the field."

-- On SEC scheduling, which left South Carolina with Texas A&M as a conference opponent. "We're not a victim. It didn't matter to us either way." But he did think 6-0-2 was the fairest option. "I sort of understand Joe Alleva at LSU. They're getting a bad deal out of this."

-- On Nick Saban's advocacy for a nine-game conference schedule: "If I was Alabama and did not have an in-state rival in another conference, I'd probably go for nine too."

-- Says he thinks Jadeveon Clowney will be the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, "but only time will tell."

Dan Mullen, Mississippi State:

-- Notes thoughts are with those affected by storms in Mississippi, and notes that several MSU athletes are involved in relief efforts.

-- On College Football Playoff: "Until we know how the system is going to play out, we don't know if it's going to be a good or bad system."

-- Says MSU has tried to schedule more high-profile non-conference games: "We haven't had a lot of luck with teams wanting to schedule games with us." Adds that an issue has been trying to schedule home-and-home for those games.

Mark Stoops, Kentucky:

-- On quarterback competition: "I feel like we've been more consistent with our quarterback play throughout the spring. ... Just simple throwing and catching, I think we're much more efficient than we were a year ago." Not ready to name a starter, however.

-- Says conference scheduling debate "really didn't matter to me ... The traditions of this league go a lot deeper than myself, so I really left that up to the leadership of our school."

Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M:

-- Said freshmen early enrollees Kyle Allen and Speedy Noil are "explosive offensive players ... Both of those guys came in with the mindset they wanted to play."

-- On QB Matt Joeckel's transfer and its effect on QB race: "I don't know that it changes the dynamic very much."

-- On what he wanted out of scheduling: "It doesn't really matter what I want. I learned that quick. We're the new guys in the league. ... There's a lot of tradition in this league that would have changed with a 6-2 format."

-- Says Aggies will have more depth on defensive front: "We'll have more pieces. We've just got to get the right pieces in place and get them ready to go."

Hugh Freeze, Ole Miss:

-- Asked by a Mississippi reporter whether he's confident Ole Miss is in good shape to raise the money for a Vaught-Hemingway expansion, joked: "I know they were hopeful you guys would kick about half that in."

-- On conference scheduling: "I thought the fairest way to do it was the the 6-0-2 method ... but the priority is we want to stay at eight games. ... I think we beat each other up enough." Added that the eight-game schedule has fostered success: "What we've done with eight games has put our teams -- more than one usually -- in the hunt for the national championship."

Gary Pinkel, Missouri:

-- On having Arkansas as permanent cross-divisional opponent. "You've got to play before you can start a rivalry. But I think it could be great. ... Hopefully one day it'll be considered one of the great rivalries in the SEC and the country."

-- Notes the potential of renewing Kansas rivalry with SEC edict to play a Big 5 non-conference opponent.

Bret Bielema, Arkansas:

-- Notes that Arkansas' schedule has been rated the toughest in the country: "It's something we'll wrap our arms around, hug it and kiss it, and make it as good as we possibly can."

-- Says defense is on same page with coaching staff and is playing very fast. Said play at CB "made a huge jump. They're playing with much more confidence. ... I think some of the offensive struggles in the spring game were directly attributable to the defense."

-- Said it was important to get an early start on the Auburn season opener due to the Auburn offense being "dramatically different" from what his defense typically sees in practice. Says he used two huddles in practice to simulate Auburn's tempo.

Butch Jones, Tennessee:

-- Says there's no perfect solution to conference scheduling, but was important to maintain Alabama rivalry: "That's in our DNA. ... That was the big thing."

-- Notes that it's important to present Tennessee as a "national brand" on the recruiting trail. Facilities, ability to "make a difference," centralized location are advantages.

Nick Saban, Alabama:

-- On incoming transfer QB Jacob Coker: Initial challenge is to learn system so he'll be able to compete for job this summer. "The learning curve's going to be steep, but he's a bright young guy and he's get experience and knowledge in a similar system."

-- On OC Lane Kiffin: "I think he's a great asset to our staff in terms of his knowledge & experience." Added it's been great to have a guy who's been a head coach before on the staff.

-- Reiterates support for nine-game conference schedule, because it would have allowed Alabama-Tennessee rivalry to continue with two rotating cross-divisional games. "But I'm happy with what we're doing now."

-- Says Derrick Henry grew a lot during season, particularly during bowl practices, and now feels more comfortable and confident with his complete game. "We're encouraged by his progress."

Derek Mason, Vanderbilt:

-- On QB competition: "You want to solidify that as quickly as you can, so this summer is going to be critical. ... For me right now, it's going to go as fast or as slow as they take it." Said he could not comment on reported transfer of former LSU QB Stephen Rivers to Vandy.

-- Mason said changes made to Vanderbilt's defensive schemes are "not radical."

-- Says he's comfortable with the eight-game conference schedule: "In terms of where we sit, I think it allows us to put together a schedule that allows us to grow, get better. Let's just see where the chips fall."

Will Muschamp, Florida:

-- Says he was for eight-game conference format, regardless of whether it included a permanent cross-divisional opponent or not: "It isn't all fair all the time, and that's part of it."

-- Said Kurt Roper's hiring made sense because Jeff Driskel feels most comfortable in the shotgun. "He's a great developer at the quarterback position," he says of Roper. "He's a really simplistic teacher in getting his point across to the players."

Mark Richt, Georgia:

-- Expresses support for the move for autonomy for the NCAA's "Big 5" conferences: "I think there's things that make sense for us, those five conferences, that might not make sense for the rest of the NCAA body."

-- Happy with the conference's decision on scheduling, and notes that with Georgia Tech on the schedule the Bulldogs already meet the criteria. "I think the game with Auburn is important to our people," he said. "I think it's important to the South as far as rivalries go."

Les Miles, LSU:

-- Opened remarks by offering condolences for Alabama swimmer John Servati, who was killed in this week's storms in Tuscaloosa.

-- Said quarterbacks Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris both made "marked improvement," but added: "Neither one of them are playing well enough to be the starter, but both of them will have the ability to be quality starters in this conference."

-- Reiterated his opposition to the SEC's recently adopted 6-1-1 conference scheduling format. "It does not diminish the great competition in the conference," he said. "But to say this is the fairest and right way to pick a champion, I think that's flawed."